need some advice regarding a nursing career

[yori]

hello, I would like to know if any one has any advice for me. I am considering a career change from criminal justic to nursing. I have finished all my prerequisites and even completed my CNA, but I am scared to continue with nursing. I know nothing about meds and or the medical field and this makes me so nervous, I feel like i would not get past nursing school. I am considering, respiratory school because I feel this would be easier school wise. When I was doing my CNA I really wanted to see what a nurse does, but I did not get a chance to. Can some one tell me what a typical day for the nurse is like, specifically the duities?

I tried to call a local hospital and ask to shadow but i was not allowed due to patient confidentiality.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

i know nothing about meds and or the medical field and this makes me so nervous, i feel like i would not get past nursing school.

a lot of people don't when they start nursing school...and that's why they teach those things in nursing school! i had no nursing knowledge when i started nursing school. don't fret!

jess

[yori]

what path would you recommend, nursing or respiratory school

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

what path would you recommend, nursing or respiratory school

you couldn't pay me enough to be a respiratory therapist. that body system is my least favorite! but that's me. it's up to what you want to do. would you just be choosing respiratory school because you think it's easier but you really want to be a nurse?

jess

[RN1989]

Where I have been, RTs make better money than RNs and they don't have to take so much responsibility as an RN and they don't have to deal with quite as much baloney. I'd go RT if you aren't dead set on nursing. Better pay, often better hours but usually better compensated for OT and on-call than a nurse.

[showbizrn]

:) YOU have to choose---Nursing or Respiratroy Therapy

Typical Day for a Nurse (Varies)

1. Intershift Report

2. Quick M.D. Orders/Chart Review of High Acuity Patient Sceniarios

3. Patient Rounds

4. Medications/Treatments (AFTER M.D.Orders Review)

5. Meetings(?)

(Interspersed between ALL OF THE ABOVE are patient/family interactions/teaching/groups)

6. Lunch/Break times (YES, there IS a difference and most Nurses have BOTH but DON'T HAVE TIME to take the time-off for both)

7. Intershift Report

WELCOME TO NURSING!!!

[Quickbeam, BSN, RN]

Hey yori, I'm your twin! I was BS/MA/ABD Criminal Justice 23 years ago and went to a BSN accelerated program. Still in nursing. I would tell you that you'll need a LOT of pre-reqs...my path required 5 years of night school pre-reqs before my accelerated program and I had 15 credits of chemistry already.

I actually felt that CJ prepared me well for nursing emotionally. Everyone I worked with as a probation/family court officer was so fragile.

[emmybsu]

i would say it would depend on what it is you want to do. there are also other programs besides nursing and RT if you would want to look into those. respiratory therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, dietician, and assistants to these people. With nursing, you can do all sorts of things - hospital, nursing home, even work in a jail system. once you get the basics from schools, you will build on those skills. Don't worry about limited knowledge now. It will come!!!

respiratory therapy vs. nursing - RT - become expert on one system vs broad spectrum of nursing when first starting out. as you become more knowledgeable, you can always go back to the accelerated BSN.

lots of different perks for both. do you have any particular questions?

[yori]

So how long did you stay in the criminal justice field before knowing you wanted to go to nursing school?

And if you don't mind me asking why did you get out of the criminal justice field?

It is so nerve wrecking for me to change careers at this point of my life, I have gotten sick just from nerves, but I am just not happy where I am at right now. I guess you can say I am burnt out on the job. It was not what I expected when I graduated from College. I have completed all the prequistes for nursing school. I thought about the fast track 2nd BSN that some nursing schools offer, but I feel it is so fast paced for me since i have no experience with the medical field. I had an interest in nursing when I was going to college but opted for criminal justice because I had more exposure to this field and felt more comfortable. But now I regret not having beaten my fear and gone with nursing.

[Quickbeam, BSN, RN]

I was in the criminal justice field for a total of 10 years before I got my BSN. That was youth counselor to probation officer (juvenile) to family court counselor. I enjoyed it quite a bit. I left because of the extremely restrictive residency requirements and the fact that my husband was not going to be able to find work in my state. I needed a profession that was more portable to go where he needed to go. I was also at the point of either finishing a PhD in CJ or opting for something else.

I have no regrets. I'd have never been able to afford a home in my native state. Ironically, If I'd have stayed in the state system of my CJ work, I'd be making more money now than I do in nursing. And I'd be eligible for retirement next year with full pension and health benefits for life.

Career changes do have "starting over costs" that you never get back. Still...I'd do the same thing again.

[diveRN]

FYI, if there is an Educator at the hospital you called, see if you can get in touch with them. You can read about being an RN here until you're blue in the face ... the best way to understand it is to actually see it a few times.

We have people shadowing all the time. They have to read and sign a privacy statement indicating that they won't disclose ANY information about pts they encounter.